Oh, sorry, I thought Thin was only asking about the WEST 80s.

Here is a cute Italian place not far from there, in the East 70s.

http://www.spigolonyc.com/

Café d'Alsace is calling my name, especially as we really liked Nice Matin (had breakfast there every morning in December plus one lunch and two dinners).

Another French option, near your hotel:

http://www.rotisserieg.com/menus/


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/19/di...side.html?_r=0

Have dined at Cafe d'Alsace a few times. Like the Baekeoffe there.

Have dined at Cafe Sabarsky.

Thanks anyway.

Thin

How about Bellini and Benoit?

They broke up when Vaudeville died.

Very cute. But Bellini is still around as a drink, no?

Haven't a clue. Maybe a ten year old copy of Time Out NY might be instructive.

Thanks, but I already know that a Bellini is a champagne/peach liqueur cocktail made famous at Harry's Bar in Venice. If you can't be helpful, please don't be flippant.

You displayed your culinary oneupmanship where you noted you had this and that somewhere or other and people were cordial and sincere and gave you bona fide advice and now you are giving time outs.

Enjoy are city and please spend a lot one money here.

I plan to enjoy NYC and will certainly part with a chunk of change in the process.

Now: does anyone have information about the Bellini and Benoit restaurants? Benoit sounds especially interesting.

You have so many choices. How many meals do you have in total?

I have not been to either of those (at least not the Benoit in NYC and not the current place with the name Bellini) but you have omitted so many of the top restaurants. I can't see how you would do much better than The Modern Dining Room, for example, yet you plan to eat at a cafe in the museum instead. If your budget is generous, why not the Modern Dining Room?

Batard is another good one, downtown, but there are so, so many, and it does not sound as if you are taking any of my advice, so perhaps I should quit here.

Thai in the West 80s - Land Thai on Amsterdam near 82nd. Very good, very small.

The menu in the Modern Dining Room just doesn't call out to me. And ekscrunchy, I have made note of your excellent suggestions and plan to eat in at least two of them. I really appreciate the time you have taken in giving me good ideas.

Thank you for Land Thai suggestion.

It was also suggested by Muffy's MIL, who has an apartment on the UWS.


Thin

Benoit should be better than it is. Lunch/brunch ok. I wouldn't go for dinner. Dont know Bellini. There used to be one in midtown near your hotel, but it's no longer there. Yelp.com eater.com urbanspoon.com all have reiews.

When will this trip take place? On the Modern, the menu on the website is not likely the same as in the restaurant, but if you do not like the sound of the dishes, you are right to avoid. I ask about timing because if it is this month or next, you might want to think about booking soon, as some places fill up many weeks in advance at prime dinner hours.

We arrive very late on October 30th. As you can tell, I tend to Plan Ahead.

Well...we have decided that since we can't get to France and French food is light on the ground where we live, French cuisine will be our trip focus. We now have reservations at Nice Matin (Sunday night: diver scallops) and Jubilee. It's too soon to reserve at L'Ecole, Rotisserie Georgette (must have the pintade), and Café d'Alsace. One night we will head to Amma for Indian food, however, and on Hallowe'en well eat at The Monkey Bar; those burgers sound great.

That leaves finding a place for dim sum one lunchtime (Red Farm?) and other lunches on the fly--possibly one at Le Pain Quotidien, which we really liked in Paris and Nice. And of course that Reuben for my husband.

We will have to walk a lot.

Thanks VERY much for all the help and useful information.

I recently ate the Cafe d'Alsace and it was disappointing. The service was inattentive, I had mussels which had grit in them and I had to remind them it can with fries. The other meals were OK, nothing special.

My francophile friend like the Le Bateau Ivre.

likes http://www.lebateauivrenyc.com/